Fully Traceable & Rainforest Alliance Coffee

Farmer spotlight - Our favourite coffee producing farms in the finer detail:

FAZENDA BOM JESUS

The coffee from Fazenda Bom Jesus has a bright and remarkable acidity with hints of chocolate and walnuts. It leaves a very light and pleasant aftertaste. Notes of brown sugar make it a naturally sweet cup. A hint of maple syrup can also be detected. Its stunning aroma is very soft and sophisticated. The sweetness of the coffee is a result of the coffee varietal Yellow Catuai and the natural process. The sugar in the coffee cherry is passed on to the bean as the coffee cherries are all dried together, removing the husks just after the coffee reaches a humidity of 11.5 %.

FARM – Fazenda Bom Jesus 

OWNERS – Gabriel e Flavia Lancha de Oliveira 

ALTITUDE – 1270 meters above sea level

LOCATION – Cristais Paulistas, Alta Mogiana. Sao Paulo

PROCESS – Natural process, sun dried, 30 days of resting period .

CERTIFICATIONS - Rainforest Alliance certified and Alta Mogiana Specialty Coffee Association (AMSC)

VARIETY – Catucai

SCA SCORE - 85

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Fazenda Bom Jesus has over 140 hectares of Natural Reserve where a huge diversity of fauna and flora can be found. Annual auditors come to collect data on both vegetation and wildlife which, in turn, is catalogued by Rainforest Alliance researchers. All the products used on the farm are not only allowed but recommended. As it produces its own compost used on the farm. Fazenda Bom Jesus contributes socially with events such as GIMA – where children from 9 small surrounding towns come to take part in a treasure hunt. Over 400 children participate in general knowledge tests and a sports day on the Bom Jesus Farm. Only state educated children take part in the events and the prizes are sponsored by the farm itself.

COFFEE

All dried together, removing the husks just after the coffee reaches a humidity of 11.5 %.

The coffee is grown at an altitude of around 1,100 to 1270 meters above sea level. This allows for ideal levels of rainfall of approximately 1,000mm per year. The constant temperatures of 20-25 C make for ideal conditions for the growth of healthy coffee trees and cherries.

QUALITY AND CERTIFICATION

Fazenda Bom Jesus Coffee was the first Farm in the Alta Mogiana Region to be certified by UTZ in 2006. Every stage must be monitored and recorded to allow 100% traceability of the coffee, which is only one of UTZ's requirements. The farm is a member of the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association. 

Fazenda Bom Jesus has also been Rainforest Alliance (RFA) Certified since 2008.  The importance of the certification is for both environment and social reasons. Recycling is encouraged in all farm buildings and the correct use of safety equipment is a further requirement of RFA. Fazenda Bom Jesus achieved a scored of 98% from the (RFA) auditors last year. 

FARMERS

Fazenda Bom Jesus is the work of the couple Gabriel and Flavia Lancha Oliveira. With a long heritage in coffee culture both are grandchildren of coffee producers. They themselves passed their love and care on to their sons, Lucas and Gabriel junior who are also dedicated full-time to the farm. In 1984 they formed The Labareda Group, diversifying into various rural activities although coffee is still the most foremost in family hearts and indeed remains their main crop. Fazenda Bom Jesus is located in Cristais Paulistas in the Alta Mogiana Region.

Gabriel and Flavia are more than just a farming couple. Their objective is to sustainably develop their region from a social and economical point of view. Fazenda Bom Jesus was a founder of the Alta Mogiana Specialty Coffee Association - AMSC. It promotes a greater conscience with regard to speciality coffee in the region as well as developing better farm practices. Performance bonus payments are also made alongside employees fixed wages. Flavia verifies that all employees on the farm must be literate and receive specialized training to do their job. As for the workforce, all their children must be enrolled at the local school. 

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FAZENDA TERRA PRETA

Country of Origin: Brazil

Region: Alta Mogiana, Sao Paulo

Variety: Yellow Bourbon / Catucai

Processing Method: Natural Natural process, sun dried with 30 days resting period

Elevation: 1100masl / 1270 masl (metres above sea level)

Approvals: Rainforest & UTZ

Tasting Notes: Balanced acidity with sweetness of tropical flavours. Notes of cocoa and nuts to the finish.

The coffee is grown at an altitude of around 1,100 to 1270 meters above sea level. This allows for ideal levels of rainfall of approximately 1,000mm per year. The constant temperatures of 20-25 C make for ideal conditions for the growth of healthy coffee trees and cherries.

QUALITY AND CERTIFICATION

Every stage must be monitored and recorded to allow 100% traceability of the coffee, which is only one of UTZ's requirements. The farms are also members of the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association.

THE FARMERS

One of the farms that contribute towards our blend is that of Gabriel and Flavia Lancha Oliveira, with a long heritage in coffee culture both are grandchildren of coffee producers. They themselves passed their love and care on to their sons, Lucas and Gabriel junior who are also dedicated full-time to the farm. In 1984 they formed The Labareda Group, diversifying into various rural activities although coffee is still the most foremost in family hearts and indeed remains their main crop. 

Gabriel and Flavia are more than just a farming couple. Their objective is to sustainably develop their region from a social and economical point of view. Fazenda Bom Jesus was a founder of the Alta Mogiana Specialty Coffee Association - AMSC. It promotes a greater conscience with regard to speciality coffee in the region as well as developing better farm practices. Performance bonus payments are also made alongside employees fixed wages. Flavia verifies that all employees on the farm must be literate and receive specialized training to do their job. As for the workforce, all their children must be enrolled at the local school.

Fazenda Sao Lucas

A sweet and balanced coffee with flavours of milk chocolate, cocoa, peanuts, pleasant after taste, low acidity, good body and clean tasting finish.

FARM – Fazenda São Lucas

OWNER Lucas Lancha de Oliveira

ALTITUDE – 1020 meters above sea level


LOCATION – Ribeirao Corrente, Alta Mogiana, Sao Paulo

PROCESS – Natural

CERTIFICATIONS - Rainforest Alliance certified, UTZ certified and Alta Mogiana Specialty Coffee Association (AMSC)

VARIETY – Catucai and Mundo Novo

FARM SIZE - 250 hectares

SCA SCORE – 83

Fazenda Sao Lucas is farmed by the sixth generation of coffee growers. Lucas Lancha de Oliveira opted to follow in his parents’ footsteps studying agriculture and becoming an agronomist. This experience proved of great value to the family business. Lucas also served in the Brazilian armed forces.

In many ways Sao Lucas is a unique Coffee Farm. Lucas brought the dynamism of his military service and combined that with the knowledge gained from his studies which contributed greatly towards the unique chocolate, cocoa and milky qualities in his coffee, making it remarkable and distinct. On the Sao Lucas farm the coffee varietals grown are Mundo Novo, Catuai and Catucai.

To enhance the quality of the coffee Lucas’s knowledge was fundamental in the creation of home - made fertilizers. 
The geographical location of Sao Lucas Farm is blessed with an abundant supply of freshwater, it is near the town Ribeirao Corrente – meaning Flowing Waters. It is situated in the region of Alta Mogiana, at an altitude of 1020 above sea level and has 50 hectares of preserved rainforest. It enjoys 1,000 to 2,000mm of annual rainfall

It is UTZ and Rainforest Alliance Certified. Proof indeed that only the highest standards are deemed acceptable. Whether it be from hand picking the coffee safety equipment use to every other aspect of running the farm. That includes the treatment afforded their own small herd of cattle, used primarily to produce the farm’s own compost. Certifications such as Rainforest and UTZ endorses the production of farm-made its fertilizers yet farms few makes its own.

SUMATRA - KERINCI ALKO

Farm - Kerinci Alko

Location - Kerinci, Aro District, Western Sumatra

Varietal - Andung Sari, Lini - S, Sigaran Utang

Process - Washed

Altitude - 1600 masl

Cup Score - 84

Cup profile

Strawberry, raspberry and melon with cinnamon notes and dark chocolate

Located 7 hours drive from the city of Padang in the Kayo Aro District of West Sumatra, Kerinci Alko’s coffees are grown on small coffee gardens approximately 0.25 – 2 hectares in size. These farms sit in the shadow of the beautiful Kerinci Volcano on the edge of the Kerinci National Park, home to the endangered Sumatran Tiger. The communities in this region are originally from the island of Java, and migrated in the 1960’s as part of a government program aimed at transforming available land into farms. Large tea plantations are prevalent across this landscape as a result but it is only in the past seven years that coffee farming has arisen, alongside more traditional crops such as rice and vegetables.

The Alko Cooperative has been running since 2013 and has 400 farmer members with a total of 291 hectares of coffee, spread across 17 villages. This cooperative is unique in that it received funds from the World Wildlife Foundation for a multifaceted project over the course of a year, to help improve their infrastructure and educate farmers about working in harmony with the local environment, protecting the Kerinci National Park.

Kerinci Alko’s coffees are processed at the main cooperative centres, where minute attention and care can be given to processing as all the coffee cherry is floated and selected. They also have an electronic system and online database that producers have access to, showing their coffee deliveries, prices paid, general information about the cumulative sales and also farming education and information they can access. This washed coffee has been floated before being pulped and fermented in water for between 12 – 36 hours, depending on the weather. From here it is transferred to drying tents where they are dried for between 8 - 15 days. The group are also incentivising local farmers to collect litter from the national park by rewarding every kilogram collected with a bag of roasted coffee, that they use in their homes and learn more about how the local coffees are cupped and experienced in cafes and roasteries around the world.